The 100th anniversary between two of the most successful clubs in the history of the game in England seemed to mean more to Bath, who were decked out in commemorative blazers, than the champions Leicester, whose blazers are the only ones at Welford Road who remember the fierce rivalry of a generation ago.

Bath's victory, not just gift-wrapped by Leicester but sent by recorded delivery, meant they opened the campaign with two victories for the third time in four seasons. Their head coach, Mike Ford, played down the significance of the strong start, understandably since the club has not won the first three matches in a Premiership campaign since 2003 and next Sunday's opponents, Saracens, have prevailed in the last six league meetings.

"You cannot ask for more than winning two out of two," said the Bath wing Matt Banahan, whose try at the end of the opening half ultimately proved crucial, "but it is all about building on it and moving forward with what is a young, talented squad. We showed a lot of character in the final 10 minutes after Leicester had come back at us, something Bath in previous years might have struggled with.

"You don't win anything in the first two games of the season. All we have done is put a marker down and the time to judge will be at the dirty end of the season. We do not feel any pressure from when the club was successful: it was a different era. There were three professional sides then, now there are 12. We want to make our own history."

All five tries were scored at the end of Leicester attacks. The first two went to Bath, Jonathan Joseph running in a long-range interception and Banahan finishing off a move that started when David Wilson forced a turnover near his own line.

The hapless Ryan Lamb was involved in both: it was his pass, designed to exploit the absence in midfield of Gavin Henson, who was on the floor, having been given a hand-off by Logovi'i Mulipola, that was picked off and, when he kicked into space rather than into touch with one minute of the opening period remaining and his side a man down, it showed why he has spent the bulk of his career as an understudy.

Lamb was playing for Leicester because Toby Flood was injured and George Ford, who left Welford Road in the summer, was in Bath colours, having made the move to play regular rugby. The Tigers were indignant about his decision to move, all the more so on the weekend as the 20-year-old not only kicked 17 points but varied his game astutely, kicking or passing as the occasion demanded, and it was impossible to tell who out of Ford and his inside centre Henson was the senior by 11 years.

It was not only Flood Leicester were missing but almost a team of players. Geoff Parling and Flood should return for Saturday's visit by Newcastle while Manu Tuilagi and Ben Youngs will have fitness tests but the Tigers would have beaten Bath with better discipline and concentration in the opening period – in which they conceded 21 points and scored three.

They dominated after the break, their fire diminishing only at the very end when the Bath replacement hooker Ross Batty was treated on the field for 10 minutes after knocking himself out in a tackle.

If the 100th anniversary match was not the most epic in the series, it had its moments and there were some era-recalling feisty exchanges early on.

With Leroy Houston and Jordan Crane as the No8s, lift-off was never an issue but the question for Bath is whether their rocket has more fuel than it has had for far too long.